Flights to Australia

Compare the best Australia flights

Despite Australia being so far from the UK, it’s surprisingly easy to get there. Okay, so the flight time to Australia is around 22 hours with a stop (or two) en route, but after a few in-flight meals and some of the latest Hollywood blockbusters, you’ll be on the other side of the world, ready to start your holiday.

With many combinations, airlines and airports to choose from, booking flights to Australia might seem like a daunting prospect, but look on the bright side: this huge range of choice means plenty of competition, which means opportunities galore to compare cheap flights to Australia in 2018.

Travel Information

Direct flights to Australia: watch this space

At almost 10,000 miles from the UK, direct flights to Australia don’t yet exist as planes currently need to stop en route to refuel, but all that is about to change with the introduction of the new – and frankly gargantuan – Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Qantas, the country’s national carrier, is due to launch direct, non-stop flights in 2018 that will deliver passengers from London to Perth with a flight time to Australia of around 17 hours.

The move is likely to herald a new era for inter-continental travel and make the land Down Under even more accessible to British holidaymakers.

Land in any one of Australia’s international airports

With such a huge territory, it’s no surprise that Australia has several international airports. These are Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Perth (PER), Darwin (DRW), Cairns (CNS), Adelaide (ADL) and Brisbane (BNE).

Most flights from London land in Melbourne, Sydney or Perth – the biggest and busiest transport hubs in Australia.

Qantas, which flies via Dubai (DXB), offers flights to Sydney and Melbourne from London Heathrow (LHR), while British Airways operates flights to Sydney via Singapore (SIN) from the UK capital.

Various airlines operate flights across a combination of routes from airports all around the UK. Compare cheap flights to Australia with TravelSupermarket to find the hottest deals from your local airport.

Bag a cheap flight to Australia

Australia is a hugely popular destination and many airlines offer flights. Prices can vary hugely, so it pays to compare routes and dates before you book.

One way to find a cheap flight deal is to consider a layover en route. Many national airlines offer flights that will stop in their home country, such as Thai Airways in Bangkok, Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong and Emirates in Dubai.

Bear in mind that one-way flights to Australia will usually be more expensive than a return, so if you are planning to leave from a different airport than the one you flew into, compare multi-city options rather than booking two one-way flights.

Red tape and getting a visa

All visitors (except those from New Zealand) need a valid visa to enter Australia. These can be obtained from an Australian embassy or consulate or via the website of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

Visitors from eligible countries (including the UK) who want to visit Australia for a holiday in 2018 (as opposed to a business trip or as part of a working holiday) will need to apply in advance for an electronic visitor visa, known as the eVisitor visa, via the website. There’s no charge.